Woes of the World
by Star-Stallion
Summary: 3rd in The Nilmé Series. Estel, fed up of being told he is too young to hunt by himself, goes off on his own. Worried when a snowstorm begins, Legolas follows him. Unfortunately, the human quickly learns just why rules are made...
1. Reflection

**New story!!! ^_^ Yeah, I know I really ought to be finishing the ones I'm already doing, but I love writing this series and I'm desperate for everyone here to see what I'm gonna have poor Legolas & Aragorn go through _this_ time... =)**

**To anyone who is new to the series, this is a bunch of stories I have written/am in the process of writing about the friendship of Aragorn and Legolas before FOTR. Previous titles in the series are (in order):**

**~*~Hope and Greenleaf~*~**

**~*~An Inseparable Duo~*~**

**~*~Fight Your Fears~*~**

**It isn't _essential_ to have read those previous instalments, but it would probably help you get a better understanding of how I portray the characters and also shows all the originals I've made who live in Mirkwood and Rivendell, plus anyone in between (including baddies!). Most of them are pretty important!!! So, actually, I _would_ recommend reading them first...**

**To anyone who has read/reviewed (whatever!) before, WELCOME BACK!!! Lovely to see... well not _see_ but you know what I mean... you again!!! ^_^**

**We have a pretty short (even for me!) chapter 1 to start us off... enjoy! **

.: Chapter One :.

Estel grinned. He had been fourteen for seven days now; seven days of being a _man_. He checked his reflection in the mirror in his room. A stray piece of dark hair flopped untidily between his eyes, drooping down the bridge of his nose.

He scowled. Blowing harshly, the strands of hair flew upwards for a moment before floating back down. In the end, he pulled it back with his hand and tucked it between his ears.

"Stupid hair..." he groaned. The teenager then resumed his task of scrutinising his appearance. His tunic was in order, his cloak was fastened _properly_ this time with his brooch, and his pride and joy, his new sword, lay in its sheath at his hip.

Estel grinned again, and the boy in the looking glass grinned back. "Looking good..."

Picking up his pack, he turned to see a blonde Elf in the doorway. The newcomer leaned casually against the doorpost, shaking his head in mock disappointment.

"And you say you're not vain..." he chastised playfully, before laughing.

Estel scowled sarcastically. "That's good coming from you Legolas."

Legolas raised his eyebrows. "Now Estel. Don't be rude to your elders... especially someone with as big of an age gap as we have. It's so immature..."

The human burst out laughing. Legolas frowned. "And what, pray tell me, is so funny?!"

"You!" spluttered Estel. "You still act like an Elfling of 200! Don't you dare reprimand me about being immature!"

Noises were heard echoing down the hallway. Estel's face lit up with recognition.

"If you'll excuse me..." he said lightly, side-stepping Legolas on his way out. "I have to be somewhere."

Legolas stared, with a confused frown on his face, after the gradually shrinking form of his friend as he disappeared down the passageway...

~*~*~*~

"Dan, have you got everything we need?" asked Elrohir, putting some more blankets in his pack. Although Elves were not directly affected by the cold, the winter had been quite vicious, and though it was now the Eighth of March, the spring was still bitterly cold, and they had even had a quite a heavy fall of snow a few days ago... and with their rotten luck on these types of excursions, they were better safe than sorry.

"Yes," replied Elladan, already sitting atop Windshadow. He shook his head. "You know Ro, sometimes I think you worry too much. We're going _hunting_, for one day only, not some long trip off to Gondor or Rohan or wherever for weeks on end. We'll be back by late afternoon!"

"All the same," said Elrohir, climbing on his own horse, Swiftfoot. "The way the way the weather has been lately, I wouldn't be surprised if we were back in a few hours. We'd better not ride too far; the roads and paths might still be icy."

Elladan sighed. "I hope not. The larder needs filling again; the food is getting a bit low for my liking."

Elrohir snorted as he stroked his steed's long black mane. "For _your_ liking! Ada said himself this morning that there's enough to last us until spring! Don't try to cover it up Dan; you are a pig." 

The older twin couldn't think of a witty reply, so settled for simply grumbling noisily under his breath. "I am not."   

"Here I am!" cried a voice from up the stairs. The twins looked round to see their young human brother hurrying down the flights of steps. "Don't go yet! Hang on!"

"What's he talking about?" whispered Elrohir.

"I'm not sure," replied Elladan. "I've got a nasty suspicion though..." He glanced at his twin with the 'you-know-what-I'm-thinking' look.

Elrohir paused for a moment. "Oh!" he cried suddenly, the fact dawning on him. Then the possible outcomes came into his head. "_Oh_..." he repeated, this time much graver. "Oh dear..."

Estel approached them, a wide beam on his face. They spotted the new shiny sword at his belt and their fears were confirmed.

"Are we leaving this early?" asked the boy. He looked expectantly at his older brothers, and caught their apprehensive glanced to each other and the expression faded. "What? What's wrong?" 

"Well, Estel... I'm afraid that, you... well, you're not actually _coming_. You can't," said Elrohir gently, trying not to bring him down with a bump. The attempt failed miserably. 

"What do you mean I can't come?!" cried Estel indignantly. Elladan merely laughed, seeing the look of utter outrage on his little brother's face.

"Estel, come on! You're fourteen!" he said, mounting his horse.

"And?!" spluttered the youngster, beginning to get annoyed. "I think I'm capable of coming-"

"You only started your training five days ago!" interrupted Elrohir. "What if we run into trouble? We can't stand around protecting you while there's possible danger about."

"But-"

"No buts Estel," warned Elladan. "Now stop it, you're acting like a child. You're too young, that's that!"

With that, the pair trotted off up the paths westward, heading for the forest, leaving a seething and highly embarrassed Estel behind them...

**Please R&R!!! You know the drill by now... oh yeah, go visit my website! Find it in my bio!!! ^_^ And _yes_, it can actually snow in March! I know some of you are probably like "Yeah right!" but trust me. I live in ****England**** for goodness sakes- I KNOW THESE THINGS!!! ^_^ **


	2. The Snow Begins

**^_^ As if I haven't said it enough before... I love this series! OMG!!! 19 reviews for _1 chapter_?!?! Didn't realise it was that popular...**

**Terreis****; Thanks! I like to put little bits of humour in. See; Aragorn _did_ care about his appearance, but that was a _long_ time ago... ^_^**

**Deana****; Ah, well, us Legolas-torturers have to stick together, he? ^_^ Lol! Thanks for the review!**

**Kyliah****; Thanks!**

**Viresse0****; Yeah, that last chappie was meant to be short; just a quick intro to how the boys (I love calling those two that!) have changed in the 2 years since the last story in the series. I'm glad you're enjoying it!!! Oh, can you update Red Sun please?! I really like that!!!**

**Anarya****; Aaaw hun... *huggles fave anonymous reviewer* You should get an account; I'd love to see what sort of things you could write! ^_^ I'm here to be complained at – that's what everybody else uses me for! Parents, teachers, friends, brother... *sigh* Hope you feel better!!!**

**Coolio02****; ^_^ Thanks!**

**Gozilla****; Thank you! ^_~**

**leggylover03****; Can you read my mind or something?! Or am I just _really_ predictable?! =) Lol!**

**grumpy****; Yeah, I can relate to Estel's feelings last chapter... it was the same with my mum and the "Can we get a puppy?" thing... she kept saying maybe, maybe... then she said no... *bursts into tears, then realises she's crying on the net where everyone can _see_ her* Oops... ^.^'**

**Estel****; *starts waving flag with BRITISH WEATHER written on it* Whoo!!! Go Weather!!! -_- Lol!**

**Lainfaer****; Thanks! ^_^**

**Mellaithwen-AngelMaiden****; I know I should finish the rest, but I've written myself to a standstill on Narn Î Hin and can't get out of it; maybe you or Jo could help me with that... Hunter in the Night will be updated very soon though!!! Speaking of the twins, I'll be writing a lot more stories with them in it in this series soon!!! ^_^**

**Elanor8****; Thanks very much!**

**elfmage****; Yup, new story!!! ^_^ Yeah; this is my story – A.I.I... That means Angst Is Inevitable btw... yeah, we're talking about our little Aragorn here! Of course he isn't just gonna take that!!!**

**Astievia****; You are the only person who has not complained of snow!!! WHERE DO YOU LIVE?!?! I wanna go there and melt the icicles that have set up permanent residence on my nose since the beginning of November...**

**singingswede****; LOL! ^_^ Sorry, your review made me laugh! Thanks!!!**

**j****; Thanks! More story for you!!!**

**Yavie Aelinel****; Ah, they're being a bit piggish, but they're not _evil_... imagine having a little brother who thinks he's Eru's gift to teenage girls and wants to hang around with you constantly... yeah...**

**elfstar54321****; Thanks!**

**Well, practically every review I got there said in one way or another that it DOES snow in March, but seeing as its April now we can leave that subject, eh? ^_^ On the other hand, we're getting off subject... back to the story...**

.: Chapter Two :.

Estel glared after the horses and their riders as they left. He stayed like that for a moment; rage building inside of him and making his hands shake as they were clenched into fists. Legolas appeared at the top of the stairs.

"Did they leave without you?" he asked. He was a little concerned that his friend should be so angry about not being allowed to go on a simple hunting trip.

"What does it look like?!" snapped Estel. He wasn't angry _at_ Legolas, but he felt frustrated and wanted someone to take it out on. Rushing up the steps, he shoved past Legolas forcefully, knocking the young prince back slightly.

The Elf jumped slightly as the door slammed hard. Sighing, he strolled up to the door and rapped on it lightly with his knuckles.

"Go away!" cried a muffled voice. Legolas shook his head.

"Come on Estel, let me in," he called through the door.

"It's not fair!" shouted the voice again. The Elf sighed with exasperation. Letting his forehead fall gently onto the cold stone wall in front of him, he groaned. Then it hit him; Estel was only human... and every human had a bit of jealousy in them. Elves did too of course, but at this time, he could use it to his advantage...

"Elladan has a point you know," said Legolas suddenly.

The door clicked and swung open. There stood Estel, a dark glare on his face. "So you're on their side?!" he hissed. 

Legolas leaned on the doorpost again. "No. I'm not on anybody's side. I'm just saying-"

"_I'm_ just saying I'm old enough to look after myself!!!" interrupted the teenager. He kicked at the doorframe. "Why doesn't anyone take me seriously around here?!"

With that, he stormed out of the room into the gardens. Legolas watched him leave, rolling his eyes.

"Stubborn _adan_..." he breathed...

~*~*~*~

Elrohir latched the dead pheasant to the leather holder and let it fall to the side of Swiftfoot's saddle. Normally he would ride without one, but with the game they had caught it would be much too difficult to ride back with various animals strapped to his little shoulder pack.

As he climbed onto the black horse, he couldn't help but notice the sudden drop in temperature. He raised his gaze to the clouds and a slightly uncomfortable feeling rose inside of him.

"Looks like there's a storm coming if you ask me," said Elrohir suddenly. Elladan looked at him. The younger twin had always been the one more in tune with the weather out of the two of them.

"Should we head back then?" he asked, mounting Windshadow.

Elrohir took one more look at the stormy grey skies and nodded. With that, the twins began riding back to their home. They didn't want to be caught in the approaching snowstorm, for though Elves naturally were more resistant to the cold, other factors, like ice and frozen water could be much more dangerous... 

~*~*~*~

Estel sat on the stone bench in the gardens. A small shiver ran through him, and he pulled his cloak further around him. The flowers still hadn't bloomed yet; after all, frost was still layering on the ground at night.

His arms folded, the boy glared at a fixed spot on the wall. Thoughts were running riot in his mind...

Why didn't the twins appreciate him?! He was capable enough; he could look after himself. And Legolas wasn't much help either; this coming from an Elf who still hadn't completed his basic training...

Then it dawned on him, and a devious little smile crept over his face.

What was to stop him leaving by himself? After all, he was old enough; he had his sword with him...

Hoisting his pack onto his shoulders, Estel walked off, exiting through the gates unnoticed and off into the forests that surrounded Rivendell...

~*~*~*~

Legolas glanced at the sundial on the balcony. He had last seen Estel about two hours ago according to it, but it could easily be wrong; the sun was barely managing to break through the thick grey cloud. The young prince squinted, trying to make out the lines, but the weather was against him.

Legolas only noticed the small white snowflake as it landed on his sleeve. Looking up sharply, he glanced over the valley and was surprised to see many snowflakes tumbling from the sky. He thought he would have noticed, but other things were on his mind.

A sly grin crept over his face. If enough snow fell, he'd be able to get Estel back for the ice down his tunic the last time the weather turned cold...

He rose from his chair and walked out into the gardens...

~*~*~*~

Legolas frowned. He had looked for the young human everywhere, but there was no sign of him. The weather was also becoming slightly worse, and he was worried that Lord Elrond would order them both in before he even had a chance to pick up some snow.

"Estel?" he shouted. No reply came back to greet him. The snow was gradually falling heavier and heavier, now settling on the ground.

"Estel?!" hollered the young Elf. It seemed that there was no sign of the fourteen year old anywhere.

Suddenly something caught Legolas' eye. A flash of red as it disappeared into the trees on the other side of the gates.Estel's cloak...

The wind began to pick up, blowing the snow around him and pulling at his cloak.

"Estel!!!" he shouted, trying to get his friend's attention. His voice died on the air though. He had no choice; he had to go after him...

**Please R&R!!! ^_^ Go on, you know you want to... **


	3. Estel Goes Downhill

**Yup, here's chapter number 3!!! Now I've noticed that you all seem convinced that there's gonna be angst in this... I wonder why?! *looks at pretty much EVERY SINGLE fanfic she's written before* Oh. _That's_ why... =S**

**Terreis****; 'Course you can borrow it!!! ^_^ Gee, nobody's ever asked to borrow something from me before... ooh!!! ^.^ I suddenly feel so proud!!! Yeah, Estel grows out of it; and let's face it, he's 14. Teenage Human Males are not things you want to p*** off... Jeez, he sounds like one of them Teenage Mutant Hero Ninja Turtle things... there we go; Estel; The Teenage Mutant Mini-Hero Ranger Human... ^_^**

**Mellaithwen-AngelMaiden****; Hmm... Do I detect just the _slightest_ hint of sarcasm in there Amy? He he he... =) Your wish is my command mellonamin... **

**elfstar54321****; Yes, I've noticed that if you put cliffies on most chapters, people will inevitably come back wondering what happened... it's a sure-fire crowd puller!!! ^_~**

**Joee1****; Don't worry!!! ^_^ Ah, let's just say the situation will be dramatic... naturally... =)**

**Lainfaer****; Lol, thanks a lot!!! ^_^**

**Deana****; ^_^ Thanks!**

**Manders1953****; *ahem* I am a _Dude-ette_, dude... lol! I'm kidding!!!**

**Coolio02****; Ah, funny you should say that... =) Read on to find out more...**

**Yavie Aelinel****; Tee hee... I admit, me being 14 as well, I know exactly how Estel feels... ^_^ The things I've put my mother through when I get in a mood like this...**

**leggylover03****; ^_^ Keep reading and you might see!**

**elfmage****; Genius?! Brilliant?! -^.^- Ooh I wouldn't go that far... but _actually_, now you mention it... lol, I'm joking! ^_^ My head ain't that big!**

**Astievia****; _You live in a rainforest_?!?!?!?! WOW!!! That is _so_ cool!!! Thanks for the review! What's it like in the rainforest then?**

**jambaby1963****; I know that long chapters are nice, and I _try_ to write them, I really do, but sometimes it's SO HARD!!! *glares at chapter length plot bunny* Why must you torment me so?!?!?!**

**Anarya****; Thanks for the muffin! Yeah, I have a lot to moan about being a teen. Actually, my fanfics are shaped by the mood I'm in. I write my most angsty stuff when I'm either really upset or angry... or if I've watched a really violent film. I guess it's pretty obvious that I watch a lot of violent films... speaking of them, I read something in the paper about top 20 men and women's films. I only liked 2 off the girls list but I love 8 off the boys list... one of which was the LOTR Trilogy!!! Lol! My mum always said I was a tomboy... oh, so you do have an account? Well I hope you have a great story one day because I'd love to read your stuff! ^_^ Yeah... this reply especially!!! =S I'll have to do something about that!!! ^_^ Thanks!**

**grumpy****; Plus the fact he's about he's as good with his sword as Tony Blair is running my country... ooh, my first political dig!!! =) My dad'll be so proud! You don't like snow? I only like it when I can either chuck it down my bro's neck or get a day off school thanks to it; hate walking in it! =( Nasty cold stuff...**

**Estel Elven Enchantress****; GO GO BRITISH WEATHER!!! =) Oh, not all teenage boys are bad... I can't actually _think_ of one at the moment, but I'm sure there has to be _one_!!! =) **

**So, on with Woes of the World...**

.: Chapter Three :.

Lord Elrond of Imladris watched the snow falling with a smile. There was something about it that he loved. Perhaps it was the way it made the valley look perfectly picturesque, or maybe it brought back happy memories of him and Elros throwing great snowballs at each other, trying to make the other screech first...

It suddenly came to the Elf Lord that there were no such noises at all outside. This puzzled him; true the Twins were out hunting (and that was a blessing of peace in itself) but Estel and Legolas surely would be enjoying the weather...

Elrond suddenly rolled his eyes. His youngest was out in the cold without his scarf again...

He made his way out into the gardens, intending to find the young human and tell him to nip inside quickly and fetch it before coming out to play again.

He was surprised to find absolutely no sign of either the boy or the Elfling anywhere. Elrond wandered around, the white snow showing no footprints underneath him; such was the magic of the Elves.

And suddenly he was reminded of the last time the pair went missing... they had been gone all night, and in a series of situations that only they could manage they crossed paths with a highly dangerous witch. Legolas had returned with his memories erased, which took him a full year to recover from, dragging behind him, Estel, unconscious and under a dark spell. He didn't want anything happening like that again.

"Estel?! Legolas?!" 

His cry echoed throughout the valley, and some of the inhabitants of Rivendell stopped their daily activities, turning their heads to the cry...

~*~*~*~

Elladan heard the yell as he and his twin rode through the gates of Rivendell. He shut his eyes, sighing, defeated. The snow was becoming wilder now; most of the citizens in the Elven haven had disappeared into their homes.

"You know what that means, don't you?" he groaned to Elrohir. The younger twin nodded.

"That Estel's as bull-headed as ever and he's dragged Legolas off with him as well," he replied. Elladan nodded.

"Spot on..."

~*~*~*~

Estel trudged through the snow, blowing on his frozen fingers. His breath rose in a pale mist in front of him, blowing away with the wind until it disappeared.

His boots were completely sodden, weighing down his feet. Inside his toes were offered no warmth; the icy wetness curled like fingers around them and turned them numb. The wind had become so strong that he was forced to hold his cloak around his small body, and stoop forward like an old man walking.

His teeth chattering uncontrollably, Estel looked up. The sun was beginning to set, turning the clouds a light purple, and he still hadn't caught anything. He had to if he wanted to prove himself to the others...

Suddenly a small brown rabbit hopped out from the bushes on the path in front of him. Estel ducked quickly behind some bushes, concealing himself behind bare branches and thickening layers of snow.

Withdrawing his sword from its sheath with an almost silent hiss, Estel slowly began to crawl towards his prey. The sooner he caught it, the sooner he could go home...

As he stepped forward, a twig hidden beneath the thick white snow cracked under his foot, and the rabbit fled, darting between trees.

"No!" cried the boy. Estel jumped up from the floor and began to run wildly after the rabbit...

~*~*~*~

Legolas held up his arm, trying to block out the flurrying snow and icy wind that was whipping his hair around wildly and stinging his bright blue eyes.

"Estel?!" he shouted, praying for an answer. None came. "Estel?!"

And so he trudged on, missing the tracks left by his friend as the near blizzard covered the trail...

~*~*~*~

All of a sudden, _just_ as he was in arm's reach of the stubborn little creature, it darted off to the left. Estel cursed loudly as he lost sight of the rabbit... but now that was the least of his worries.

He saw it in front of him, just glimpsing it through the blinding snow, but he was helpless to stop himself.

The youngster skidded on some slippery ice as he tried to stop from going over the edge, but his momentum carried him over. Estel screamed as he rolled down the hill, snow and dirt attaching itself to his clothes and body and snagging anything it could as he fell...

**And next chapter is where the REAL drama comes into play... =) And _yes_, I know that the review replies are coming our longer than the chapters, but its quality, not quantity that counts...**

**Right?******

**Or is the quality sliding down the hill faster than Estel at the moment? =S Tell me in a nice long review, pwetty pwease!!!**


	4. Legolas Has A Sinking Feeling

**I've just realised, I haven't done a disclaimer on this! So, here it is... DISCLAIMER: If LOTR was mine, I would not be sitting here on this comp trying to write fanfics. I would be living it up in the ****Caribbean**** with Captain Jack Sparrow and Will Turner whilst sitting atop a mountain of money.**

**That means I don't own LOTR...**

**^_^ Aaaw, you're all so nice! You know, I was only joking about the quality thing! I'm like that you see... You know, this might not be the Mellon Chronicles, but it's mine and I'm proud of it! ^_~**

**Deana****; I'm really sorry but my dad is seriously strict about me emailing people; I don't think he'd let me! =S I'll see though... thanks for always reviewing though; I appreciate it!**

**Terreis****; He he he... yeah, some of the chapter titles I've come up with for future fics are great, if I do say so myself... =) YOU'LL BE _AWAY_?!?!?!? NOOOOOOO!!! ='( I shall miss you mellonamin, I truly shall...**

**Mellaithwen-AngelMaiden****; I noticed... -_- Lol, joke! ^_^ I thought we were doing both in one? I'm not sure of the title though... I like Serpents in the Mists; it could mean either the evil thing, or it could mean us! =) Depending how sarcastic we are feeling of course...**

**Estel Elven Enchantress****; Yeah... _bring me that horizon_, lol! ^_^ I know, Siege of Dread is making me think, "POOR ELROND! *huggles Elrond* POOR THRANDUIL!!! *huggles Thranduil*" You being motherly?! Pull the other one!!! =)**

**Lainfaer****; You want a snowball fight?! You've got a fic coming from a Mistress of Evil and you want a _snowball fight_?!?! Eh, cool idea! ^_^ I'll see what I can do!!!**

**Radioactive Bubblegum****; _June 15th_?!?!?!?!?!?! O_O My god... thanks for the review!!!**

**Yavie Aelinel****; YOU WILL GET YOUR DRAMA!!! ^_^ Trust me; I mean, who's writing this thing?! ... Exactly...**

**jambaby1963****; *laughs evilly* So... who first? *spins Wheel of Mis-Fortune. Each part has either Legolas or Estel's name on* And the winner is... ooh! This should be interesting! I know actually, but you have to read to find out... he he he... seems I'm torturing my reviewers as much as the characters now...**

**Anarya****; I like scary movies, adventure movies, action movies, comedy movies... in fact, I think the only kind of movie I don't like is romance ones. *shudders* Some are great, but _some_... argh!!! It's SO _soppy_!!! It's nice to see some new vocabulary in there!!! ^_~ Can you do it again I wonder? That's your challenge; each review, you have to use different words than the one you did last... _I'll be watching you_... lol! JOKING, you don't have to!!!**

**Manders1953****; Ah! Well, we Amanda's have to stick together!!! ^_^ LOL! DUDE! ^_^**

**Astievia****; LOL! The rainforest sounds so cool; really different from living in a city! I wish I was there now! *writes down _rainforest_ on 'Places to Visit' list alongside ****New Zealand****, ****New York****, ****Florida**** and ****Tokyo***** Right... nonsense! I love your writing, and coincidentally; are you going to update Wildfire! any time soon? I love that story!**

**Gwyn****; You want Leggy angst? I'll check what the plot bunnies think... *plot bunny whispers in ear* Ah, the plot bunny says- *is cut of as plot bunny puts paw in front of mouth* O_O' Mmmphm!  **

**leggylover03****; Oops! ^.^ I should have told you!!! Sorry! But yes, I'm maiming Estel (and Legolas!)... yet again... and rest assured that will not be the last time!**

**elfmage****; So I'm an EVIL GENUIS now? Whew; make up your mind!!! ^_^ Lol, I'm kidding... I don't know, why _are_ you laughing? Wait... is this a trick question?! Now wait a minute. Just because I've had some sort of angst in everything else I've written, why should it be in here?! *Legolas bounces out, tied up and gagged, trying to scream for help as he's seen the plot, closely followed by Aragorn* Eh-he... ^_^' *kicks them back into box* Ignore them... eh...**

**grumpy****; Yeah, we'll just leave it that he's missing a couple o' brain cells, hmm? ^_^ Trying to kill a rabbit with a sword indeed... stupid boy... =) Of course, I made him that way...**

**And so another novel-length bunch of review replies are done... now; on with the chapter...**

.: Chapter Four :.

The world spun about him, blurring from dark to light to white to grey to dark again and again. Small rocks and stones under the snow caught his skin, bruising and cutting him, ripping small tears in his clothing.

Just as Estel thought he would never stop rolling, his came to a halt in the middle of a thorny bush. All around him, barbs and spikes dug painfully into his skin. The boy cried out as they drew small spots of blood.

His cloak, the only thing providing a little warmth to his freezing body, was completely caught up in the thorns. He unhooked the brooch at his neck and crawled away, trying to keep as low to the frozen ground. At last, he found himself out of the bush, lying at the bottom of the hill, panting heavily.

Estel shivered violently. Now he felt miserable; he had caught nothing, he was freezing and soaked, and... and...

Tears trickled down his face. He wanted to go _home_. The question was... what direction was home in?

Trudging back up the hill he had fell down, he looked about him, searching for any signs of the valley. As he reached the top, he tried to remember what way he had come. Hazarding a guess, he waded through knee deep snow, hoping he was heading the right way.

The snow was so thick, the boy didn't notice the small blonde haired Elf that crossed his path a good few metres in front of him...

~*~*~*~ 

Legolas held tightly to the branch as he leaned over, peering down the snow covered hill. There, caught in a tangled web of thorny branches, was a bright red cloak.

"Estel!"

The young Elf placed a sure foot on the snow and let go of the branch. He skidded down the bank, keeping one foot in front to keep his balance. Sliding to a halt by the bushes, he looked in.

Only Estel's torn, tattered cloak was caught in the bush; there was no sign of Estel himself. Legolas looked about him. There were no footprints in the snow, save his own, and the Elf assumed that the boy had managed to crawl out the other side.

Legolas shut his eyes, bracing himself for the stinging, before crawling into the bush...

~*~*~*~

The stars were hidden behind the rolling thunderous clouds, but the moon just managed to peep its silvery head out and give the youngster some light to walk by. 

A tingling in his nose made him pause for a moment, and he sneezed loudly. Estel shook his head lethargically; his nose was blocked up slightly and his throat was sore.

Estel's head snapped up as he heard some faint cries. There, through a haze of white, some small flickering lights; warm yellow firelight that was so inviting and homely. Estel smiled brightly, his weariness forgotten, and he broke into a run, heading for the Elves calling his name...

~*~*~*~

Elrohir was searching around the trees near the gates. They had to be around here somewhere...

"Ro!" cried a croaky voice. The younger twin shielded his eyes with his hand, trying to see through the snow that was clinging to his eyelashes. A small figure stumbled through the trees, zigzagging as it walked towards him. Was it... it couldn't be...

It was!

"Estel!!!" cried Elrohir, running towards his brother. The teenage human forgot all of his barriers, all the decisions he'd made to be as grown-up as possible, and sank into his older brother's arms, coughing harshly.

The younger twin hugged him tightly, and then drew him back at arms length. "Where's Legolas?"

Estel frowned. "I don't know..." His eyes lit up with fear. "I thought he was here!"

Elrohir's eyes widened. "You mean... he's...?" His head shook numbly as his mind created images of terrible things that could have befallen his friend. Legolas was much, _much_ younger than him, but both he and Elladan cared about him like another little brother.

"Come on," he said, grasping Estel's hand. "We have to find Ada..."

~*~*~*~

He struggled through the thicket, wrestling his way out to the other side. His green tunic was ripped and shredded in places and long cuts decorated his pale skin.

Legolas sat in a small snow drift for a moment, catching his breath. He stung all over, and the freezing cold was slowly beginning to get to him. After a moment, he found himself and rose to his feet.

He looked about him. He seemed to be in a small clearing, which seemed strangely unusual in the midst of the thick woods he was in, but the young prince was really too tired to care. He walked out into the glade, treading with elvish softness on the carpet of snow. 

He paused when he heard a cracking noise below him. Looking down, the Elf's heart nearly stopped. Frozen in fear, he realised what he _actually_ stood on. 

The water hole. It had covered with a thin layer of ice in the freezing cold, which in turn had been covered with snow. Legolas moved his foot slightly, causing a long crack to open in the ice. Small chunks broke away floating on their own atop the freezing water. If he made one wrong move, he could go crashing through the ice, and possibly never come up again.

He had a chance though if someone came to help him...

"Help!" he cried, the whipping wind drowning his yelling out. "Somebody, help me!!!"

It happened so suddenly that he barely had time to even cry out as the crack under his foot widened. The thin ice split down the middle all along the water. Legolas screamed as the flimsy surface broke away from underneath his feet and he fell with a splash into the dark swirling water below...

**And believe you me; that water is _COLD_... just so you know, when I said about Legolas skidding down the hill? I had the image of when Frodo is skidding down in TTT to help Sam outside Mordor. I didn't mean that he was falling...**

**Also, someone asked me one time why I call Legolas 'small'. Well, doing my research (ah, see! I do actually put a bit of work into these!) I found out that Legolas is surprisingly short for an Elf. 5ft 10" to be exact, and that's during the War of the Ring. In fact, throughout the Trilogy, Aragorn is taller than him. I looked at other Elves bios and found out that at that time most were into the 6ft range. Even Arwen was an inch taller than him! So that's why I call him small... because he is. ^_^ Plus, remember that he's a good 73 years younger than he is in LOTR during this fic. Even Elves have to grow!**

**They also asked me about his age. Well, while I was doing the same research, I found some very good evidence presented by someone far more intelligent than me that lots of little hints Tolkien himself dropped about him pointed to that he must have been somewhere between 600-800 during the Trilogy. To make life easier for myself, I made him 700 during the Trilogy and that's where I get his age...**

**Phew! There we go... and if anyone starts asking questions about the way I show Aragorn I shall... I will... I don't know!!! Put you in a fanfic and do to you what I do to these two!!! THERE!!! That's enough to put anyone off... =)**


	5. Sick

**^_^ Something makes me think you're panicking for Legolas right now... I wonder why?! =)**

**shadowfaxgal7****; I hate cold water too, unless it's a really hot day and it's at the seaside/swimming pool/out of a hose pipe. ^_^ Will Legolas get sick? Hmmm, I don't know, but he will get wet... lol! -^.^- Thanks for the compliment!**

**Deana****; Ooh, you've embarrassed me now!!! =S Yeah, it's strange I know. It's just with loads of viruses and that... I used to display my addy on here so people could ask me questions and things but then I started to get lots of viruses so I took it down. I'll check with him! Yeah, he knows I write; he encourages me! Believe it or not (coz there's a lot of people here who don't!) I'm 14 years old. Yeah... no lie!**

**Celebrean****; LOVE the new name! Wait wait wait... you WANT to be in one of my stories?! O_o O-kaaaay then... ^_^ LOL, I'll see what I can do!!! ^_^ I have no medical experience either; I just make stuff up that I _think_ you should do and keep my fingers crossed. HOWEVER for this fic, after a highly detailed review by Anarya, I don't think my usual method of medicine will work. I now hold in my hand a 20 year old first aid book with a brief chapter on the dangers of cold water and hypothermia and other cold-related illnesses... oh boy... -_-'**

**Mellaithwen-AngelMaiden****; Thanks!!! ^_^ I know your sarcasm level Amy... remember my 'damn to the depths' comment on CBBC? That still stands... LOL!!! I'm joking; but seriously, my big sarcastic mouth has got me into a ****LOT**** of trouble in my 14 years... a ****LOT****...**

**Manders1953****; I know, but you see, I was reading the Carahdras (sp?!?!) chapter of FOTR and it said there, in the Great Professor's own words... "Aragorn was the tallest of the Company..." or something along those lines. The movie card saying he was 5ft 10" just helped me out!!! ^_^ I'm sorry if that was confusing... =S**

**Estel****; Don't you even _try_ and hug me; I'm happy being conscious at the moment!!!**

**leggylover03****; Estel pain? Ah; just hang on a little longer...**

**Astievia****; *blushes as red as a ****London**** bus* -^.^- You are SO kind!!! You really think it's that good? What would I do if I owned LOTR? Hmmm... I'd buy ****Scotland****!!! And ****New Zealand****!!! ****Scotland**** is like my second home and I'm desperate to live in N.Z... I have been since I was about 6 when I saw it on TV!!! What about you? I'd like to be in one of your stories!!! I think it'd be fun!!!**

**Amthramiel****; Thank you!!!**

**galadriel**** evenstar****; Ah, well, you see... I put angst into pretty much every story I write, so I don't think I'll fail you there!!! ^_^ **

**Yavie Aelinel****; Well, my full title is: Star; Queen of Drama, President of the Sadist's Code, and Official Nutter of the CBBC LOTR Books Boards... (Also known as S.Q.o.D.P.o.t.S.C.a.O.N.o.t.C.L.B.B) Yeah... I love the Wizard of Oz!!! I'm actually writing an LOTR parody of that at the moment; look out for it some day!**

**elfmage****; ^_^ I'm glad you like the angst!!! Ooh, why thank you!!! It's nice to know that! Eternal Saviour? I'll have to add that to my long name... jeez; I'm getting as many as Aragorn here... ^_^ Thanks for putting this on your faves list!!!**

**Coolio02****; Tee hee hee! ^_^ Thanks!**

**Sparrow Greenleaf****; Ooh that was a BAD pun!!! ^_^ LOL!!! *sniffle* I wanna go to ****Disneyland****... "But why is the rum gone?!" LOL!**

**Anarya****; Ai Elbereth!!! *Memo to Self: Never fall in a cold water-hole...* Hmmm, now you've shone some light on this I'm scared!!! I don't know how to pull it off either!!! But, I've got faith in myself... and the 20 year old First Aid book sitting beside me... fingers crossed!!! x^.^x Oh, and remember that novel-length review you sent me?! ^_^ It's absolutely fine with me! In fact, I'm flattered that you asked! ^_^ Please go right ahead; I can't WAIT to see what you come up with!!!**

**eruve tinwen****; LOL!!! ^_^**

**Joee1****; LOL!!! Poor internet guy! I feel for him! Nice to know that; thanks for the review!**

**Mysterious Jedi****; -^.^- Ooh, thank you!!! So you like my writing then?**

**Stoneage Woman****; *gulp* That doesn't sound good... thanks for the compliments, and yes; the amount of trouble those two have gotten into in 3 short years is unbelievable... and there's so much more to come!!! This is the LIGHT drama at the moment; wait till they start "getting on the wrong side of people"... =)**

**Lainfaer****; Can he swim? Hmmm, you'll have to read and find out... =) Why thank you! ^_^**

**Terreis****; *huggles Terreis* YOU'RE BACK!!! ^_^ Too right you should be worried about Legolas... he just fell through ice into cold water!!! ^_^ Lol! **

**So... on with the story... ^_^**

.: Chapter Five :.

Elrond ran a hand through his dark raven hair. His head was pounding from stress and worry, and all the while the snow seemed to fall heavier from the sky. Glorfindel, seeing his friend's fretting, placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Calm down," he said softly.

Elrond shook his head hopelessly, managing a slight laugh that was full of what seemed to be regret.

"What is it about those two that they seem to cause me more anxiousness than the twins ever have? I am sure Glorfindel, that if I was not blessed with immortality I would have gone completely grey by now; in five years they've scared me more times than the valley's most terrifying ghost tale..."

Glorfindel smiled ruefully and said nothing. There was nothing he _could_ say in this situation anyway...

"Ada! Quick!!!"

Elrond turned on his heel to see Elrohir running towards him, dragging behind him by the sleeve...

"Estel!"

His concern mounted slightly as the teenager fell into a fit of harsh coughing. Estel's face reddened slightly as the sharpness of the air's claws tore at his throat. Elrond pulled him towards him and rubbed his back gently. Finally the coughs subsided, and the Elven Lord was able to hug his youngest.

"Don't you _dare_ do that again, do you understand?!" he told him. He didn't know whether to be angry at the boy or to weep with joy that he had found him. Parental instinct took over and he let a tear fall from his eye. "Understand?!"

"Aye Ada," gasped Estel. His nose was running even more now.

Elrond looked his son over and recognised the symptoms. "You've been out in the cold for too long; you're sick."

Estel suddenly felt very sleepy. "Am I Ada?" he asked, yawning as he finished. He slumped awkwardly into a soft chair that was conveniently close and felt Elrond's hand run across his brow as his eyes slid shut wearily. "I hadn't noticed..."

With that, he fell fast asleep... 

~*~*~*~

His eyes widened under the water as the sudden drop in temperature made all his muscles seize up. He almost went to gasp for air, but forcibly stopped himself; reminding his shocked body that he was still under the water.

He could see the stars through the ripples at the hole he had fallen through... the scene was hauntingly beautiful.

He needed air. His lungs were burning like fire inside his frozen body. His feet brushed the bottom of the water hole and a sudden surge of hope instilled new life in him. It started in his toes and snaked its way up his legs until, after what felt like an Age, he was able to push himself up with force...

His arm smashed through the thin ice like it was paper, crystals of ice flying through the air, catching the moonlight as it poked through the stormy clouds. Legolas gasped in air through his mouth, water dripping from his hair in rivulets down into his eyes, but he could barely get enough in as his diaphragm was tight from the icy water.

He waded as best he could through the ice, breaking it into small pieces with his hands by hitting down on it.

And suddenly he found himself crawling on his hands and knees up the bank; dragging his sodden and almost unresponsive body into the open snowy cold.

Legolas could do nothing as the whole world tilted sickeningly in front of his eyes, sending nauseous waves through him. He was relieved when he sank into a world of black and blissful oblivion... 

~*~*~*~

Estel had been carried to the healing room by Glorfindel. There was not much that Elrond could do; he had only a bad cold which time and good care would heal. Right now they were more worried about Legolas who still hadn't been found.

He blinked awake to find himself tucked up warmly in bed, the room lit by the soft glow of a warm and welcome fire in the fireplace and a hot mug of steaming tea at his bedside.

Estel could still hear the noises of people scurrying around outside, the shouting outside in the grounds... he didn't understand why the whole place was still in an uproar; he was home, was he not?

What everyone had neglected to tell Estel was that Legolas was still missing; not through their own faults of course, but through sheer panic.

Estel watched in silence as Elladan opened the door quietly. The Elf tiptoed into the room and headed for Elrond's collection of supplies. He had expected the human to still be sleeping, so when he glanced over to check that Estel's very mild fever hadn't increased at all...

Estel suppressed a laugh as Elladan jumped back at the sight of the fully awake boy. The Elf regained himself and looked at him as though scolding, though a teasing twinkle remained in his eye. 

Elladan lifted a bag of healing herbs from the shelf near Estel's bed. He looked back at the young figure propped up on the pillows, a red nose contrasting against paler-than-normal skin. He opened it, concentrating on the contents and ensuring that they were all there.

"We're going off for a while. Ada says that you are to stay here." He paused, thinking for a moment. "And you are to _remain_ in _bed_." He emphasised the words; he knew Estel too well...

"But I want to come!" said Estel.

"You can't Estel; you're sick!" replied Elladan. He didn't need this right now; he was worried and weary and did not appreciate being antagonized at this moment in time.

"It's only a cold. I'm fine... perfectly fine!" whined Estel, before erupting into more coughs.

Elladan glared, and all hint of jest had left his face. "No." he growled.  

Estel groaned and scowled. Leaving that afternoon had not helped; it seemed that his family treated him even more like a child than before! "I want to help you!" protested the teenager. "I'll take my sword-"

"Estel!" shouted Elladan angrily. "Why won't you learn, you are too young!"

"I am fourteen years old, _Elladan_!" replied the teenager, spitting his older brother's name. "I can take care of myself-"

"You are a child!" bellowed the raven-haired Elf angrily. This time... this time, Estel had gone too far. He had sent everyone to the edge of sanity worrying over him, caused their young friend to go off on a fruitless search looking for him, and now wouldn't even obey instructions to keep him safe. No; the older twin was fed up with his brother's stubborn behaviour... 

"And don't try to tell me otherwise!" he cut in when the boy opened his mouth. "You act like a child, even now! Hasn't it occurred to you to wonder where Legolas is?!"

Estel was stunned. "Well I... see... erm... no," came his final reply. He had been so wrapped up in his own little world where he was determined to impress and show his family just what he could do that he had completely forgotten about the Mirkwood Elf. At this thought a pang of guilt wormed into his stomach...

Elladan seethed. "He went out _there_ to look for you!!!" He jutted his finger angrily towards the window. "He panicked and went out because he was worried sick about _you_!!!"

Estel's mouth dropped open. His gaze went again to the whirling snow that fell from the stormy sky. "He's... he's out, out _there_?!" And suddenly he realised why Elrohir had been so scared when he had informed him that Legolas hadn't accompanied him. Nobody knew where the Elf Prince _was_.

"Yes," snapped Elladan coldly, turning away from his little brother. He ran his long fingers through his hair, distressed, and he gave a great sigh. "And he hasn't come back..."

~*~*~*~

The snow drifted down from the grey skies, the white flakes twirling in all directions as they tumbled gracefully through the air, speeding about when caught in the swift air, before becoming a crisp thick blanket on the ground as it fell to the floor, the din of creaking branches and stormy howling winds.

It covered not just the ground, but the unconscious Elven Prince as well...

**Please R&R!!! ^_^ What do you think? Also, my dad will soon be bringing our old scanner out of the loft and checking of it works on our comp. If it does I'll be putting up all my LOTR drawings! Including the ones that go with this series!!! Fingers crossed! x^_^x**


	6. Lights, Then Darkness

**Here I am with chapter six! ^_^ I really enjoy reading all of your reviews; please keep 'em coming!!! ^_~**

**Terreis****; Yeah, Elladan was a bit harsh, but he's worried and (as you'll see in a later fic in this series) he feels responsible for Estel, Legolas and Elrohir, so naturally he'd be feeling a little stressed at the moment. Thanks for reviewing though!!!**

**Elfobsession2931****; Ah, that is going by _movie_ verse that he's 2931. However, if you copy and paste this URL into your web browser...**

**...it tells you a LOT about the book verse of Legolas, and it picks up every clue about his age. It's also a very good read; I recommend it! Thanks for your review though, it makes me smile when people tell me things that can improve my writing! ^_^**

**leggylover03****; ^_^ Ok, here's a quick update for you! I'm glad you like the Estel angst... my conscience is battling with itself to see whether I should make him worse or not... decisions decisions... **

**galadriel evenstar****; Don't go out there!!! *pulls evenstar back through the door* You'll freeze!!! Here; *hands over steaming cup of tea* Drink that and sit down... I'll show you what happens... ^_^**

**Deana****; Its ok! ^_^ Yeah, I do have anti-virus stuff, but it's also everything... you know, this being the Internet and all... Woah; I'm glad you were alright!!! Though maybe it affected your writing and that's what makes you write such great stories!!! Erm, do you mind if I use that whole freezing-water-bed-causing-hypothermia thing for this story? I could only find what to do in the event of hypothermia in my book and how to treat it, not the symptoms... though how they expect you to treat hypothermia when they don't give a list of how to actually RECOGNISE it I don't know... ^_^ Lol!**

**Astievia****; That's a ****LOT**** of cool stuff!!! Ok, round 2... if I owned LOTR, I would buy... a private jet, a large yacht, Jupiter, and I'd but 4 horses, called Merry, Pippin, Aragorn (or Estel, not sure yet!) and of course, Legolas... OH YES!!! PLEASE LET ME BE IN THE NEXT CHAPTER OF WILDFIRE, _PLEEEEEAAAAASSSSSSEEEEEE_?!?!?! Hang on... I don't like the sound of that evil laughter... but I still wanna be in it!!! Ooh, your brother... I'm scared!**

**Mysterious Jedi****; Evil is my middle name... apart from Sadist, Weirdo, Hobbit-Girl, Elf-Wannabe, Queen of Nastiness and various other names that make me sound like a female (and nastier) version of Aragorn... ^_^ Thanks for reviewing!**

**Sparrow Greenleaf****; Yes. Yes I do. =) *shudders at thought of bad puns* I'm gonna write something on the evilness of bad puns... one day... someday... when I can be bothered to that is...**

**Anarya****; I must say... that story? IT WAS WONDERFUL!!! I really enjoyed it; you ought to write more stuff!!! ^_^ Well I'm hoping to find a way of getting him out of this... if not, it's bye bye Leggy and the end of the Nilmé Series!!! =) MWUHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! Thanks for reviewing mellonamin!**

**eruve tinwen****; I believe that not getting hurt a single time during the LOTR Trilogy was what he did to deserve this... yup...**

**elfmage****; ^_^ YAYAYAYAYAYAY!!! THE SADIST'S CODE IS UP!!! I was wondering; can I put this on my website? Please?!?! So... my full name is now Star; Queen of Drama, President of the Sadist's Code, Official Nutter of the CBBC LOTR Books Boards, The OTHER Mistress of Evil, Queen of Incredibly Evil and Frequent Cliffies, Ruler of Imaginative New Tortures for Elves, and Writer of Brilliant Character Development... whoo! That is one loooooooonnnnnngggggg name... strange how the word 'evil' popped up in there so many times... =) I know I am...**

**Yavie Aelinel; I love that song!!! ^_^ It's so cool! I can play it on my guitar (yes; I play guitar! I'm a girl of very few, but highly honed in on talents...) I know!!! Poor Legolas; all this to entertain us all... how does he keep up with it all?! =)**

**Stoneage Woman; Hmmm, I _think_ that was a compliment... =P ... LOL, I'm joking, I'm joking! ^_^ I'm hoping the scanner works too! I actually have a drawing for this fic (it's Legolas about to go into the water; the ice is just cracking under his feet!) plus loads for the ones I'll be writing in the future for this series... some of my faves are for a fic involving Aragorn, Legolas, and Ringwraiths... I'll say no more... =) Oh, and no; I'm not an artist but people have said I ought to be one... ^_^**

**Lainfaer; I'm glad you like drawings! ^_^ Thanks for reviewing!!! ^_~**

**Woah, that was about a page and a half of review replies!!! ^_^ I LOVE YOU PEOPLE!!! ^_^ **

**Now, on with chapter number 6... **

**I WOULD LIKE TO INFORM YOU THAT, AS I AM ONLY 14, I HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO MEDICAL EXPERIENCE... UNLESS YOU COUNT BEING ABLE TO a) PUT SOMEONE IN THE RECOVERY POSITION, b) BEING ABLE TO DO THE HEIMLICH, AND c) KNOWING THE NUMBER FOR AMBULANCES, MEDICAL EXPERIENCE THAT IS... THANK YOU!!!**

.: Chapter Six :.

The horse's hooves pressed into the thick snow heavily. The rider pulled their cloak around them tighter, bowing their head so their hood would block somewhat against the whipping snow.The person had heard a cry, distant and muffled in the wind as they were out riding to get home as fast as possible, but the goodness inside their heart reached out for the other who's pitiful yet terrified cry moved it.

A small gasp issued from the rider's mouth, pale wispy mist curling like frosty ribbons from inside, as their eyes caught sight of a young Elf, lying unconscious in the snow.

Tiliath jumped down from the tall horse. "Stay here," he said softly to it. The horse, out of great love for its master, obeyed. The man walked cautiously down the hill, wary of ice patches and other concealed dangers.

He approached the little Elf. It had long blonde hair and wore a dark green tunic. Its lips were tinged with a slight blue colour, and Tiliath was sure that even Elves were not meant to be that pale. It seemed to be a boy, and he was absolutely sodden with freezing cold water. He would have to get into dry clothes.

Tiliath, thankfully, knew what was wrong and why the Elf was unconscious. He was a Ranger, coming home for the winter to see his family. It was simply cursed luck that had brought the snowstorm down on his head as he neared so close to home. The young Elf was almost certainly beginning to develop hypothermia. Tiliath pulled out some spare blankets from his pack and dug the youngster out of the snow that was beginning to cover him.

It suddenly occurred to the Ranger that this was no Elf of Rivendell. The blonde hair; that was what gave it away. Very few Rivendell Elves had blonde hair, and this one was dressed in woodland attire. At this point in time though, it did not matter; what mattered was warming him up as well and as safely as possible.

Tiliath knew of a small cave not far from their current position. Wrapping the Elf tightly in the blankets, which had been warmed from being at the part of his pack closest to his back, he carried him back up to the top of the hill.

The horse whinnied and nodded his head as he saw his master returning with a limp bundle in his arms.

"Kneel please Ferdilon," he said. "I need your help to mount now." Ferdilon bent his legs, lowering himself to the ground where Tiliath could place the cold Elf on the horse with ease...

~*~*~*~

Elladan stayed silent for a moment, before turning back to his little brother. He noticed that Estel was shivering again.

"Get back in bed Estel," he said, using the healer's tone that Lord Elrond had taught him over the years. Estel shook his head.

"Please let me go out and help you," he pleaded. Legolas was out there looking for _him_... this was _his_ fault. "I'm fine, really!"

He suddenly erupted into more hacking coughs. The Elf looked down on the teenager with pity, suddenly feeling guilty for shouting at him. It wasn't his fault, not really...

"You're not," he sighed. "Go on; go back to sleep." He ushered Estel to his bed, sitting him down on it and pulling the covers over him. He grasped the still steaming cup of tea in his lithe fingers. "Drink that," he said firmly, handing it to Estel. "You'll feel much better."

Estel obediently took the little pottery mug from Elladan's hand. He coughed a couple more times before regaining his breath. He wrinkled his nose at the tea, which was a slight mossy-green colour and smelled of a strange smell he couldn't quite place... it was disgusting though...

He swallowed some, before pulling back, spluttering. "That is horrible!" he half-cried, half-coughed.

Elladan smiled briefly. "Of course it is; it's tea Estel. Come along, drink it all up, there's a good boy."

Estel eyed him suspiciously. Elladan crossed his fingers out of sight; if Estel figured out that this was a sleeping draught...

"Don't call me that Dan," said Estel. Elladan breathed a tiny sigh of relief.

"Alright Estel..."

The youngster drained the cup. "There; I drank it, just like you asked!" He grinned slightly. "Would you like me to dance next?"

Elladan shook his head, laughing. "Just go to sleep!"

Estel's eyes began to drift shut. He fought against it. "But... I'm not... tired..." His head rested softly on the pillow, and he drifted into sleep.

Elladan stroked a stray piece of hair behind his younger brother's head. "Rest well Estel," he whispered softly. He rose from the side of the bed, and left the room...

And it was with that, after Elladan had mounted his faithful horse Windshadow, he, Elrohir, Elrond and Glorfindel set out to search for the missing Mirkwood Elf...

~*~*~*~

Tiliath walked into the cave, holding the Elf in his arms. He rested the unconscious one down on the floor, still wrapped tightly and warmly in the blankets, before pulling out some small pieces of spare firewood that he carried around with him. After al, it was basic Ranger training.

He pulled out two flints and rested them on the dry wood. He placed a little dry grass (also stored in his smaller kit; again, basic training) atop the rest, and began to strike the flints hard. Very soon, orangey sparks began to fly off of them.

"Come on..." he whispered, urging the sparks on. "Come on..."

Thank the Valar then that a small wisp of smoke began to rise. Soon, the whole clump of grass was alight with an orange-red glow, which spread to the wood. The fire was lit.

Tiliath closed his eyes for a few seconds, recalling how to make a makeshift cot for injured people. He placed to long pieces of wood parallel to each other, the some smaller pieces between them, making it look rather like a ladder. Then he placed more blankets along it, cushioning it. Once he was happy that it would not collapse, he walked over and picked up the Elf again, lying him down on the cot close to the fire.

Tiliath looked him over. Apart from the obvious malady of cold exposure, there were no other apparent injuries on him, save for the minor scratches on his face and hands. The Elf looked like an average human sixteen year old, save for the pointed ears and Elvish clothing.

"What on Middle-Earth were you doing out there lad?" thought the Ranger, shaking his head slightly. "Even Elves like you can't handle that kind of cold for long..."

Gradually, the Elf began to shiver, building up more and more until it was uncontrollable. Tiliath breathed a sigh of relief; that was _actually_ good, for it meant that the young one's body was trying to compensate for the lost heat by generating some for itself.      

They couldn't stay here for long though. What this Elf needed was _proper _shelter and warmth; a campfire couldn't provide as much as one in a fireplace could. Tiliath decided then and there that as soon as the snowstorm eased off, he would take him back to his own home, not far from here...

_If_ it eased off, that was...

~*~*~*~

Estel woke up alone. His mind was slightly hazy, probably as he was still a little tired from the sleeping draught, but there was... something else... it was... something important...

Then it hit him.

"Legolas!!!" he breathed. Estel scrambled out of bed, pulling on another overcoat as he suddenly found himself abnormally cold. He put that down to just changing from the warmth of his bed to the less warm air.

He grabbed his sword from the side, noticing that his arms felt a little heavier than they should do. Again, he simply put that down to having just woken up.

He was about to leave the room when a figure appeared in front of him. "That's odd," he thought to himself. "I didn't even notice her coming..."

It was Tebridë, Arwen's old nanny. She looked upon the form of the boy in front of her, smiling slightly.

"And just _where_ do you think you're going, hmm?!" she asked. She had been warned by Lord Elrond that when Estel woke up he may have tried to follow them; it was in his new-found stubborn nature. It was a good job she'd come to check in on him when she had...

She frowned a little when he began coughing badly again.

"I was just... I was... just..." began Estel between coughs. He couldn't continue though; something felt... _wrong_, almost, something wrong inside of him.

"Estel?" asked Tebridë. Her voice was thick with concern; she didn't like the glazed look the teenager's eyes had taken on. "Are you feeling alright?!" She placed a cool hand on his forehead, and found it much warmer than it should have been.

Her voice... it sounded so fuzzy... like he was underwater. Everything was echoing around him.

_Are you, you, you... alright, feeling alright..._?_ Estel? Alright? Estel... Estel... are you..._?

He couldn't get in enough air because of coughing... lights; so many wonderful, pretty lights...

It was a welcome relief from all the echoing voices and strange, dizzying lights that whizzed around him when all faded to black and he hit the floor...

***starts whistling to self* Oh, helloooo there dear reader! ... Why the furious I-can't-believe-you-just-did-that look? Why the growling? Why the very sharp and dangerous looking knife? ... Oh dear...**

**LOOK, IF YOU JUST R&R I'LL UPDATE, HONEST!!! O_O' Jeez, some _people_... but please R&R! ^_~ And everyone go read Anarya's fic!!! IT'S FABBYLUSHIOUSO!!! --- And that is MY word... anyone who nicks it without my permission pays a fine... BE NICE!**


	7. Discoveries and Trouble

**Hi everyone!**

**Dha-Gal****; Funny you should mention Elladan angst... not this story mellonamin, but very soon, very _very_ soon... i.e. next story maybe? =) Just wait for the preview...**

**Deana****; Right... scribbles down CONFUSION Thank you!!! I think I'll give him a couple of leniencies because he's an Elf, but he is CERTAINLY not getting it easy!!! No way!!! =D**

**leggylover03****; You DO realise that I changed a whole plot part JUST so you could have your Estel angst, don't you?!?! Oh well; I was wondering whether to do more anyway- you just set it in stone for me, so thanks for that!!! **

**Mysterious Jedi****; Ok! LOL!**

**Astievia****; Ooh!!! Nice! Ok, I'd ALSO buy... the school I go to, then burn it down (MWUHAHAHAHA!!! DEATH TO EDUCATION IN ALL ITS FORMS!!! Except Art, Drama, Music and English... I like those...) I'd buy a big plot of land and make an LOTR theme park... I'd buy two dogs and call them Sam and Frodo (!!!), and finally I would... buy the Moon. And a star... which I would officially re-name Ëarendil (sp?) instead of those dumb number-names they give them... yeah... please write the next chapter soon!!! PLEASEPLEASEPLEASEPLEASE!!!**

**singingswede****; Hellooooooo! **

**shadowfaxgal7****; True, true... oh dear LORD I sound like a Budweiser advert... NOT GOOD, NOT GOOD!!! Actually, those bits where Estel was ill were based on a time I was ill; I'd just woken up and went downstairs when this wave of nausea hit me and I kinda spaced out; there were lots of swirling colours and little light-like things that sort of danced around... needless to say I went STRAIGHT back to bed... yup... spies sword Oo I have the mental ones reviewing my stories... bloody brilliant... --**

**The one called Anarya****; Well, I reckon that if you can write a good story that tortures either Legolas or Aragorn (but preferably ELF TORTURE!!! =) ) then you will be more than worthy of joining our strange and dark cult of THE SADIST'S CODE!!! thunder and lightning all around Oh yes!!! That effect was money well spent... and _just_ because I like you Anarya dear, you may see it again... SADIST'S CODE!!! thunder and lighting all around... again Oh yes! =) I can't kill Legolas in flashback? =) My dear Anarya... whoever said that this series wasn't a big fat AU? Hmmm? This is My World... Mine... and I Rule it... MWUHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! thunder and lightning again I love that thing! Hearts of Stone? Well, I'll see what I can do...**

**Manders1953****; Dude!!! I have now fallen in love with that word... =)**

**elfmage****; OO' Like I said above... I get the mental reviewers... WHY?!?!?!?! ahem Please excuse that loss of control there... =S MORE Legolas angst?!?! For goodness' sakes, it's always "More Estel Angst!" or "More Legolas Angst!" with you people... I HAVE A WHOLE SERIES TO WRITE HERE!!! ahem Same apology as above... =S**

**silvertoekee****; =) He he he... you'll find out what's up with our Estel soon...**

**Mellaithwen****; So now the "whateverMaiden" bit is gone? phew! Makes my typing life just that bit easier; YAY!!! FABBYLUSHIOUSO!!! I'll let you use it hun; you're special...**

**eruve**** tinwen****; I'm crossing my fingers for ROTK** **EE that _something_ happens to him; anything- a cut, a bruise, a splinter, _even an in-growing toenail_...!!!** **Ok, so yeah; I'm getting a bit desperate, but hey!!! Baby Estel is sick. Sorry for being obvious, but that's the answer!!! =)**

**Terreis****; Lol! **

**Lainfaer****; Yummy... wine gums... And yes; that sentence DID make sense!!!**

**Amthramiel****; Thanks! **

**Stoneage Woman****; Actually, I do sing. blushes -.- Apparently I'm quite good but I get really scared in front of people... academically? Top group for English, Maths and Science, and A's and B's in my other subjects... the only ones I really fail at are RE and DT... Ah, that sentence! My spell/grammar check said it was correct, but I thought there was something wrong with it... basically I was trying to keep as much of Tiliath's identity secret till the last possible moment. Here's an improved sentence for you... **"...The rider pulled the cloak around them tighter, head bowed so the hood attached to the top of it would block somewhat against the whipping snow..."** Happy now? **

**Estel Elven Enchantress****; Apparently ff.n ate some people's reviews... yup... the site was hungry man...**

**Coolio02****; Yup; Leggy has been found and Estel is unconscious!!! What a lovely scenario, indeed... =) Hee hee hee... **

**Ggrixjfgkdyueifrhfie Gufierugeriughifuvh; Nice name... lol!!! Now there's no need to poke; I'm updating!!!**

**So... now that another novel length bunch of review replies is FINISHED (You _do_ realize it was these that took me so long to update for, don't you?!) we can get on with this... just tell me one thing though... do you like Tiliath? Because if you DO then I think I should just make you aware that this is a new character I have created for the series, therefore he'll probably be in future installments... I have an extremely cool story lined up for him many years down the Nilmé Series timeline... ******

.: Chapter Seven :.

Tiliath rummaged through his pack, pulling out some dry clothing. The Elf had to get out of those wet clothes or he could very well die. Pulling off the youngster's shirt, he pulled one of his own onto him, before placing on his limp body a warm, long sleeved woollen pullover, and an overcoat. Then he changed the dripping wet leggings for his own spare pair of, albeit long, trousers. Finally he wrapped the blonde back up in the blankets.

The fire was slowly burning out into red embers, lighting up the cave slightly with their soft glow.

Tiliath checked the grey skies. Either his eyes were being cheated, or the snow was gradually letting up.

"Fingers crossed it is," he thought. His home wasn't too far away; if he got a good speed on Ferdilon, the Elf would stand a good chance.

He lifted the still unconscious Elf onto his faithful horse again, before taking off...

.......................

Where was he? He didn't know...

Why was he here? No answers for that either...

When did everything go so dark? Wait... it was dark?!

He was too confused to answer any of those questions now. All he wanted now was sleep... and sleep Legolas did...

.........................

Elrohir looked about him. The sun was beginning to rise in the east; Legolas had been out all night. That was bad. Somehow though, he felt that something was about to go their way.

"The snow is easing off!" he realised aloud. Sure enough, the number of crisp white flakes descending from the sky was decreasing.

"This is a good sign," said Glorfindel, patting the side of Asfolath's neck. The horse whinnied. "This will make it easier to find Legolas."

Elrond stopped mid-ride. The others in the party looked at him, wondering what was wrong. The Lord of Rivendell was caught in a vision...

_Estel... the boy was sick; very sick... he was unconscious... he could be dying..._

Elrond gasped as his sight cleared and he was back in the moment. He gazed fearfully at the others. "I have to get back now... it's urgent!"

Glorfindel knew that something was terribly wrong. "I'll accompany you." He turned back to the Twins. "You will both be alright looking for Legolas, won't you?"

They nodded in unison. "We'll find him..."

........................

The snow flew up from under the horse's hooves as the two Elves galloped back to the Elven haven. Glorfindel rode up alongside his friend.

"Do you mind telling me what this is about?" he asked, ducking under a low lying branch before it could relieve him of his head.

"It's Estel..." said Elrond. That was _all_ he would say...

........................

Tebridë gasped in shock as the young human's knees suddenly gave out and he crumpled to the floor.

"Estel!!!"

She hastily knelt by Estel's side. The boy was unconscious; the only sign of any life in him was the pained expression on his face...

........................

They had searched almost everywhere. The only place left was the water hole...

Panic began to rise in both of the twins when they saw the huge hole in the ice. Elrohir immediately came to the notion that Legolas had fallen in... if he hadn't gotten out... the Elf shuddered. He didn't want to think about it.

Elladan had come to the same conclusion as his younger brother, but he had noticed something else. "Wait Ro... look!" He pointed to the trail of cracked floating ice. "He managed to get out!"

The pair looked around in the bushes and around trees and rocks, trying to find Legolas. He had been out all night; if he was still in the open he could be very critical. But, as we know, there was no sign of him. The twins found this out after a long search.

"Well then where could he be?!" demanded Elrohir. He just wanted to find his friend...

Elladan hung his head. He didn't want to go through all of it again... he didn't want to face losing another person... then he saw something on the ground. Horse shoe prints, perfectly pressed into the crisp white snow.

Every female Elf in Rivendell admired Elladan's wonderful tracking skills... almost as much as every male Elf envied them, including Elrohir and Hallataulë. The younger twin had his skills with nature and the weather; the older son of Elrond was the master with the practical side of things...

"Someone rode this way atop a horse..." Elladan followed the tracks. "They picked their way down the hill..." He walked down the slope. "And lifted up something... or some_one_, lying here..." He glanced back up the hill. "And bore them away on the horse."

He knelt in the snow, running his fingers lightly over the tracks. "These footprints press heavily into the snow."

Elrohir thought. "A human then. Now, how many humans do we know that live around here?"

Realisation suddenly dawned on Elladan. "Tiliath..." Elrohir smiled with relief.

"Thank Eru for that ranger..."

............................

Ecara placed her baby into his cot. Little Tolaith yawned and blinked innocently.

"Rest now dear," she whispered, kissing his forehead tenderly. She lay the infant down on his back, tucking him in. She looked down on her little one fondly. His father was coming home today after three months away with the Rangers; they were all looking forward to being a family again... for a while at least...

A faint neighing made her freeze. That was Ferdilon; she was sure of it. She grabbed her shawl from over her favourite chair and draped it over her shoulders, before running to the door.

Pulling it open, she had to squint against the snow that blew into her eyes, the wind blowing her red hair like long grass. There was Tiliath, her love, riding towards their little cottage through the snow. A bright smile crossed her face.

Then she saw the bundle in Tiliath's arms. She gasped as she recognised the limp form as a young Elf...

.............................

He woke up, feeling frozen. He was in a bed, propped up on soft warm pillows, blankets all around him. He was tucked in so tightly that he could not move. He glanced blearily around the room.

It was lit by a warm orange glow, and decorated with bottles and maps and a thick rug on the wooden floor. The windows were small, and slightly dirty, but Legolas could still see the white snow that had settled on the hills and boughs of the trees outside.

Where _was_ he?

"Oh thank the stars above!" said a voice near him. Legolas' head snapped around to see a woman sitting on a chair by the fire, knitting a woollen jumper with some oaken needles. A dog lay lazily beside her, warming himself beside the crackling flames. His clothing lay over a wooden pole there, drying in the heat.

The woman rose from her chair, lifting her skirts from the floor and walking over to him, sitting on the large bed beside him. She laid a gentle hand across his forehead.

"You were a'tossing and a'turning something _awful _in your sleep there; we thought you'd never wake up!"

Legolas shook his head slightly. "We?" he mumbled. "But, who is we, and... where _am_ I?" He felt sluggish and sleepy... very sleepy...

Ecara frowned as she watched the young Elf's eyes drift away slightly and his head droop. "Go to sleep little master," she soothed, stroking his hair back. Another blanket was draped over Legolas' skinny shivering body. "You need it. We'll explain all when you wake again..."

The words echoed away into sweet nothingness as he drifted into the world of dreams...

**And so the end of another chapter... =)**

**Ways to Pronounce Original Characters' Names******

**Tiliath – TIL-_EYE_-ATH**

**Ecara – EH-_KARA_**

**Tolaith – TOL-_EYE_-TH**

**Tebridë – TEH-_BREE_-DAY**

**And even though he was only mentioned in passing in this fic but he's VERY important in future ones, Legolas' brother, Hallataulë – HAL-A-_TAU_-LAY (The 'AU' is pronounced like 'OW'!) **

**Just a few questions to those of my reviewers with medical knowledge... 1) Is it possible for a knife or other sharp object to go through that bit of your foot above your ankle, y'know, that starts going up your calf... you can put your fingers around it a little... between that bit and the bone? Ok... **

**2) Where is it possible to get a sword around the torso area to badly injure someone but NOT kill them... **

**3) Does anyone know any breeds of poisonous snake and what they look like? **

**4) Same as number 3 except for plants this time... **

**5) Is it possible to get a mix of sand, grit and dust in your eyes, go temporarily blind and then gain your sight back after a few weeks or something?**

**Thank you.**

**As you can see from those questions, Aragorn, Legolas, Dan, Ro, Hal, Elrond, Thranduil, Tebridë, Sólia, Tiliath, Glorfindel, and any other new characters I introduce through the series are in for a pretty tough time... =) 3) is especially important as it is for the next story in the series, so please help!!!**

**Oh, one more thing... how do you spell Celebrean? Or Celebrian or... whatever it is... =P **

****


	8. Opening Your Eyes

**Heylo there everyone!!! **

**silvertoekee****; LOL! I can imagine that... "Would you like ice-elf in your coca-cola sir?" =)**

**Terreis****; I know; there are some things I read and I'm think; "Eh?! How d'ya say that?!" I'm glad Tolkien put one at the end of LOTR... I needed it!**

**Joee1****; Ah; the scene separating... I _did_ do it, but now ff.n's silly Quick Edit thingy is wiping them out!!! ='( So now I've resorted to dots... =( My poor stars...**

**Dha-Gal****; No, no Dan Angst in this one, but next story, I promise!!! _Haven't you wondered why I'm asking about poisonous snakes_? =) I _HATE_ it when people do that!!! It's so hard to keep track of! A secret? Hmmm... not sure yet... we'll see... =)**

**Celebrean****; Oh... Kay... then... sorry, it's just that now I've been told by different people _3_ ways of spelling Celebrian!!! =( Now I'm confused... thanks for reviewing though!!!**

**Anarya****; You sure do like leaving novel-length reviews, hey?! Don't worry, I love reading them!!! Ah, well you see Anarya m'dear... I can make the Nilmé Series a complete AU one of I wanna... which could possibly mean character death... and don't forget the number of originals I've made up!!! =) OOH, OOH!!! That sounded really good; do a story with that!!! What you wrote about the snake I mean... go on! I'm not going to do it to Legolas anyway... oh yeah, please tell me if you don't like me asking you to write all these things; it's just that I think that you're really a VERY excellent writer... **

**Amthramiel****; Thanks for the snake info and the review! **

**Stoneage Woman****; Hmmm... do you think I could use a cobra-viper hybrid? Coz I like the sound of the viper in colour and size things, but I _LOVE_ the rings-around-the-neck thing... panthers?! Leopards?! Jeez... how do you survive?! Ah right, thank you very much! I'll go fix that sentence some time later on... yeah; I've just recently taken up singing when my teacher overheard me singing to myself while putting up decorations for something we did recently... I thought nobody was around to listen so I just sang to myself and she walked around the corner and told me I sounded really good, so I guess it's a fledgling talent I've just discovered! I reckon I'm better (and much more comfy with) creative things... Thanks for reviewing!!!**

**leggylover03****; THANK YOU!!! Just so you know, I'm planning up a whole entire Nilmé Series story with NO Legolas and ALL Estel (Well, I mean, known as Aragorn by this time) and there will be ANGST GALORE!!! Let's just say; Group of Rangers Orcs Taken-to-Mordor = Ouch. Yup. =)**

**Mellaithwen****; Thanks Amy!!!**

**Yavie Aelinel****; I like reptiles too!!! Thanks for the info on the snakes!!! **

**Manders1953****; Lol! DUDE!!! You _do_ realise that my friends are being driven nuts now that you've got me hooked on that word, eh? DUDE!!!**

**shadowfaxgal7****; Yes, they know Tiliath!!! Phew... sounds scary! Glad to... well, I'm _assuming_ you're fine now, yeah? Ah, right I'll remember that... Quick Updates = Painlessness... good good... ouch!!! Hope your ankle gets better soon! Thanks for all the answers!!! You helped a LOT!!! **

**ElenaRoan****; Wow, that's a hell of a lot of snakes!!! Thank you for all your help; review again sometime, yeah? **

**ESTEL!!!****; Yup, we could start calling him Shnuggle-Bunny... LOL!!! Ouch; GCSE's... are you Y10 or Y11? Sorry; it's just in my school the Y9's are already starting coursework and that got me wondering... SLAP STICK RULEZ!!! **

**Lainfaer****; Thanks for the help! **

**Astievia****; I'm glad your comp is fixed!!! Oh, I'm glad you like Tiliath!!! Why am I asking about stabbing? Will I hurt Legolas? Funny you should ask that... think, Future Story, Legolas, _Morgul Blade_, and Ouch... yeah... =) MWUHAHAHAHAHA!!! _There is a snake loose in your room_?!?!?! OO' Bloody hell... I WANT A STAR!!! That way I'd live up to my many Internet names; they all have Star in them somewhere! Let me think... Star-Stallion, MoonStar, StarQueen, Elentári (Star Queen in Elvish!), Little Elf Star... yeah... it's my trademark!!! In case you haven't realised by now, I REALLY love stars!!!**

**senseii****; Ooh!!! New reviewer!!! Hello!!! I know I'm evil; it's a patented thing of mine! =) Mushrooms? Oh, thanks!!! Thank you very much for putting me on your faves list and for reviewing!!! **

**Wife of Elladan****; Hi! Thanks very much! -.- --- Ooh I'm blushing now... **

**Ok then everyone!!! Time for the next chappie... **

.:Chapter Eight:.

Groggily, Estel's silver-grey eyes blinked open. A figure stood above him, too blurred to identify. As the teenager swallowed to relieve his dry mouth, his throat grated painfully. He felt the person above him place a hand over his forehead.

"Ada?" he croaked, his voice sounding unnaturally raspy.

"No Estel, it's me," replied the figure.

Estel blinked rapidly, and slowly the colours of the softly lit room swam back into their normal places to reveal Glorfindel standing there. He was smiling fondly, yet there was something in his eyes...

"You gave your Ada quite a scare there," he told the human firmly as he sat in a comfortable chair that was situated next to the bed. Estel coughed a little as his cheeks blushed; he was ashamed of what he had done.

"I know I shouldn't have run off like that-" he began, before he noticed the strange look that the blonde Elf gave him. "What?"

Glorfindel frowned. "I'm not talking about your running away," he explained. "I mean when you _fainted_."

Estel was taken aback. "I fainted?!"

The Elf nodded. "Aye, and when you did your Ada had a vision of you collapsing. He had no idea what was wrong with you and rode back hard to help you. You were in pretty bad shape; that fever of yours was the root of the problem. I think you became over-heated." Glorfindel sighed and rested back, relaxing back into the soft cushions. "Oh well... all seems well now I guess; all that's left now is to inform him when he awakens."

It was only now that Estel realised that Lord Elrond was nowhere to be seen. This worried him; his adoptive father was usually milling about the healer's ward when there was someone injured, which usually developed into frantic 'Healer Mode', as he and Legolas liked to call it, if the afore-mentioned injured person was one who was close to him.

"Where _is_ Ada?" he asked. Glorfindel had a slightly devilish glint in his eye.

"Do not think that your Ada is immune to his own sleeping potions young Estel..." he whispered, tapping the side of his nose. Estel grinned; he had no idea that Glorfindel, the famous Balrog slayer, had such a trait in him... it almost made him sound like Elladan or Elrohir.

"But of course, it's just our little secret, yes?"

Estel nodded, pleased to be in the conspiracy. "Of course..."

.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.

Legolas woke again later on to the same surroundings. This time, however, he definitely felt less disorientated and confused.

He suddenly wondered what was happening as one of the many blankets draped over the top of him began to slide off of him. He rolled slightly to peer over the edge of the thick posted bed and large, soft feather mattress to see a small child, no more that about two years old, chewing on the corner.

"Well hello!" he muttered to the little one. The infant looked up at him with big blue eyes, still chewing, and waved with tiny fingers.

"Hello," he replied.

Legolas smiled. He had never really come across very young children before; in Mirkwood, all of the tiny Elflings stayed very close to their mothers for fear of what was beyond their borders.

"Ah, so I see you're awake!" said another voice. The Elf's head turned towards the doorway to see a man there.

He wore dark clothes; black trousers and a deep blue overcoat, and underneath a white shirt. His boots reached to just under his knees, while a sword was strapped to his belt and an old yet strong-looking bow over his shoulder. These he removed and placed in the corner of the room.

As he walked towards Legolas and the young child that still sat on the floor, the warm fire seemed to make his deep brown eyes almost glow, and Legolas could see the slight smile that was on the rugged face of the dark-haired human.

The man rested a hand over Legolas' forehead, and sighed, sounding contented. "Well Master Elf, I think you'll be happy to know that your little mishap in the snow hasn't seemed to have done too much damage to you... I reckon you'll make a complete recovery!"

Legolas felt quite relieved at this, though to be honest he'd had no idea just how close to freezing outside the previous night he had come. There was just one thing he wanted to know though...

"Who _are_ you?"

The man straightened up. "My name is Tiliath. I'm a Ranger. I found you out near the water hole..."

For the next few minutes, Tiliath explained to Legolas how he had found him out in the snow, taking him to the cave, spending the night there, and everything else up until his waking a few moments ago. Legolas merely listened intently through it all until the tale ended.

A moment of silence passed between them for a moment, broken only by the little infant playing on the floor.

"Well Tiliath, I want to let you know that I'm eternally grateful to you for saving my life. You are welcome in Mirkwood any time you like!"

Tiliath resisted the urge to laugh as the small and young-looking Elf told him this in such an authoritive voice; after all, with Elves, you could never tell their age just by looking. Anyway, something told him that there was more to this Elf than what he seemed.

"Thank you for your hospitality," replied Tiliath. He picked up Tolaith from the floor where he was just about to begin playing with some big balls of fluffy dust that had come to rest hidden underneath the bed on which Legolas lay.

"Hey you," growled Tiliath playfully. Tolaith giggled gleefully.

"Hello Daddy!"

Tiliath tickled his little boy mischievously. Legolas smiled as he watched the father and son playing. Tolaith gasped back his breath as his father held him close.

"Don't tell your mother that I left you to play with dust... she'll kill me..."

Tolaith nodded innocently. "Ok Daddy."

With that he popped the youngster on the floor, where he toddled back over to Legolas.

"Who's you?" asked the little one, staring up to the Elf.

"I'm Legolas," he said.

Tiliath stopped stoking the fire and listened to that part _very_ carefully. "Legolas?!" he thought.

No...

There was no _way_ that this could be the same Elf...

Could it?

**So, tell me what you think!!! R&R!!!**

**OH YEAH; ALL GO READ ANARYA'S STORY 'THE QUEST' BECAUSE IT IS REALLY GOOD!!!**


	9. Return

**Hi peoples!!! **

**Celebrean****; Lol! I've done some research and apparently it's spelt Celebrían! Thanks very much though! **

**Terreis****; =) He he he... I know it's not a nice cliffie, but there we go... You'll have to see what Legolas has to do with Tiliath, and vice versa.**

**Astievia****; I know how you feel; brothers can be so annoying sometimes... blushes Lol! Yeah, I have a thing about stars... they're just so pretty! And I just remembered; my name on fictionpress is Northen Star... yeah, it's supposed to be spelt like that! (Sorry; it's just that a friend of mine kept on about it...) He he he... well at least you can sleep safely at night now!!! **

**Amthramiel****; Ah, you'll have to read to find out... =)**

**Wife of Elladan****; Thanks!!! **

**Dha-Gal****; LOL!!! I feel sorry for them... =) I got your guestbook signing on my site, thank you so much!!! Yeah; Dan and poisonous snakes... nice combo... =)**

**manders1953****; yeah, I say it _way_ too much DUDE!!!! No, I've kept you a secret!!! They won't come to your house with pitchforks yet!!!**

**Yavie Aelinel****; IT'S ACTUALLY QUITE COMMON TO TALK IN CAPITALS!!! Lol!**

**Deana****; Yeah, the new twist is because I got a little bored of the 'Leggy-gets-hurt-gets-better-everything-is-peachy' I started to get going there... plus it gets all my wonderful reviewers hiked up!!! =)**

**silvertoekee****; Yup!!! Glorfindel is like me; EVIL!!! Lol! Hmmm... you're probably right; I'll just stick to regular ice-cubes from now on!!! **

**Coolio02****; Thanks!**

**Mysterious Jedi****; Ok!!! **

**Anarya****; Yeah, I guess I _did_ have to work for my reviewers... BUT I did get a bit of help; a couple of people have recommended me to other people, so that's only what I'm doing for you! If you don't want me to though I won't do it again! Oh... ='( That snake one was _really_ good! Oh, you're guessing a Tiliath back-story? Best guess so far!!! Ah; Tolaith is based on my little 2 year old cousin; he can say a few words, like 'hello', 'ok', his name, 'bye', and his fave word; 'cookie'... which is usually followed by a 'NOW'! Lol! **

**Mellaithwen****; No, she hasn't told me!!! What POTC fun-run?!?! I WANNA SEE THEM!!! JO!!!!! I haven't seen ****Troy**** yet, but I really want to! I have read adromir's fics and I think they're SO cool! I love Kel to bits!!! **

**leggylover03****; Yes; a WHOLE STORY with just ARAGORN ANGST!!! =) He thought he had it easy because Legolas was my favourite, but now he's found out that he's equally my fave and he's a little... upset...**

**     ARAGORN: screaming I DON'T WANT TO DIE!!! NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!**

**     Oh calm down you stupid Ranger... =)**

**Stoneage Woman****; Ah, you know me too well!!! Ok, I'll use a hybrid, but I might call it a different name... right; I'll remember the sucking venom bit!!! No, you're not giving me a bad impression, in fact, quite the opposite!!! I want to see all that stuff you see; it sounds so wonderful! I hate being stuck in a city actually; nothing of importance is here... just grey buildings, grey skies, and a grey feeling... no colour... in case you haven't noticed, I have the ability to speak with total disgust about where I live; London... the most boring city in the world... -- Really? We have another thing in common too; we both like LOTR!!!**

**Estel****; That's a bad cough you have there Estel m'dear!!! TILLY?! _TILLY_?!?!?!?!?!!?! OO' Erm... I'm not sure he'd approve!!!**

**     Tiliath: Too bloody right!!!**

**     Yeah... lol! I go to an all girl's school too!!! St Catherines... yup... it's a catholic school; pray for this, pray for that, not that I have anything against it but it's always done the same old boring way... plus we have a sucky uniform... =P A cream shirt (till next year, when we get a blue one!!!) and a Blackwatch tartan _kilt_... -=shudders=- Eeew!!! Oh, did you know love, YOU ARE MY 150th REVIEWER!!! **

**eruve tinwen****; Maybe... -=pulls out Sherlock Holmes-style hat and a pipe=- I shall investigate... **

**Lainfaer****; oO You think I'm good at updating?!?! LOL, that's not right; it took me 7 months to update something once!!! Thanks for the review though!!! **

**ironic-humour****; hello! Unless I'm very much mistaken, you're a new reviewer, yeah? HI!!! Thanks for reviewing!!! **

**shadowfaxgal7****; LOL!!! Definitely!!! Yeah, everyone seems pretty much pleased! More angst? Not in this one; after all I do have 30 plus more Nilmé Series stories to write!!! You can expect angst in most of those though!!! **

**LAST CHAPTER PEOPLES!!! And of course, the obligatory preview of the next in the series; "Red Sun Rising"... enjoy!!!**

.: Chapter Nine :.

Tiliath spun around.

"Wait, your name... Legolas? Legolas _Greenleaf_?!"

Legolas sat amid the quilts and blankets uneasily. The tone of Tiliath's voice was difficult to pin down... was it shock, or wonder... anger even? Something in the Ranger's eyes though drew him in, wanting to answer.

"Yes..."

Tiliath shook his head in disbelief, remembering a distant memory...

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_He could hear voices, strangely soothing melodic voices that were as soft as a summer breeze._

_"Master Ranger? Wake up, come along now..."_

_Tiliath blinked himself awake, coming around to a burning sensation in his left arm and a pounding headache. Above him stood a figure, leaning over in an almost parental-like manner._

_Then he noticed the pointed ears. An Elf._

_The room stopped spinning and he could now clearly pick out the features of his surroundings. A shaft of sunlight beamed in through a window cut into the roof of the room, bouncing off of a large rounded mirror and spreading light across the area._

_He was dressed in white, a bloody bandage on his left forearm. His muddled mind was cleared of shapeless fog long enough for him to recall that he and his troop had been attacked by spiders in the vast __forest__ of __Mirkwood__, where they had been tracking a criminal wanted in Bree._

_"My Lord, the Rangers's leader has woken now," said the Elf who had been standing over him. Tiliath's head turned towards the door, and there he saw another Elf, but this one felt much different._

_This new Elf had an aura about him, a grandeur and royal air to him. His clothes were also noticeably richer than the others in the room (which Tiliath assumed was a healer's ward), robes embroidered with golden thread and a golden circlet atop his head._

_"Thank you," he said, his voice filled with command and authority. "I wish to speak to him."_

_The first healer bowed and left the room. Once the door had clicked shut, _

_"If you do not mind my asking," said the Elf. "What on Middle-earth were you all doing out in that spider territory?"_

_"We were tracking a wanted man," said Tiliath simply, shifting on the pillows to make himself more comfortable. "It seems though that we took a wrong turn!"_

_The Elf laughed. "Well you may be pleased to know that all of your men have escaped unscathed; minor injuries here and there but nothing too serious. They worried dreadfully about you though; they'll be pleased to know that you are alive!"_

_Tiliath was confused. After blacking out in the middle of the clearing, he had no memory of anything afterwards up until the point he had regained consciousness. "May I ask of your name?" he posed politely._

_"You may," replied the Elf. "I am Thranduil of Mirkwood, and this is my palace."_

_Tiliath was shocked. This was the King of the __Woodland__ Realm?_

_He was suddenly broken from his reverie as the door burst open. An Elf who looked like a teenage human ran past with what seemed like a long range weapon in his hand. Tiliath took note that Thranduil suddenly seemed very exasperated._

_"__Ada__!!!" cried a very young looking Elf who had just appeared in the doorway. Thranduil turned, rolling his eyes._

_"Legolas Greenleaf, WHAT have I told you about knocking before-" began Thranduil._

_"But Ada, Hal has taken my bow! I was practising and-"_

_"Legolas, please, I'm talking!"_

_"__Ada__!!!"_

_Tiliath resisted the urge to laugh. He had just married his wife Ecara a few months previously; if they were to have children he would leave them to her if this was how they acted. _

_"Legolas, if you do not go and sort this out with your brother in a civilised manner, I am afraid I will be forced to leave both of you tied up out in the forest.  Now go on!!!" growled the King, making his threat sound frighteningly pronounced. The young Elf nodded nervously and ran off to join his brother in the courtyard._

_As Legolas left, Tiliath caught his eye. Though the Elf looked very young, his eyes held many more years to them than his face did... though it was always hard to tell with Elves. The only ones he knew well were Elladan and Elrohir, the sons of Elrond, and even they held some secrets that he would never know of._

_Thranduil laughed despite himself. "My sons," he explained to the Ranger. "I love them dearly but at times they can be such a handful..."_

_Tiliath and Thranduil talked for many hours after that, discussing the group of Rangers's original plan of capture and how the warriors of Mirkwood could assist, among other things. It seemed that they had struck up an unlikely friendship... _

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That had been eight years ago. The Mirkwood Elves had saved his life that day, along with all the men in his contingent. Looking at the Elf now sat on the bed, it suddenly hit the human how little he had changed.

"You're the Prince of Mirkwood!"

Legolas was shocked. How did he know?

Tiliath knew from the look of surprise on Legolas' face just what he was thinking. "Do not fret; I just know your father. Eight years ago, a group of Rangers and I were tracking..."

They sat for hours, talking the day away...

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Ecara pulled on the rope of the well, raising the bucket up more and more with each tug. The water sloshed out of the side each time the pail swayed, but she didn't lose too much.

Meanwhile Tiliath was chopping at some large thick branches that had fallen during the storm. "Might as well put it to good use," he had said. Legolas was helping the couple by keeping little Tolaith occupied indoors.

Legolas had been confined to the house as he was still quite cold to the touch and Tiliath didn't want to take any chances. Elves were famous for being quite hardy when it came to the weather, but Legolas was still a little weak and tired from his misadventure. 

"So where is the bear?" laughed Legolas, holding the handmade child's toy behind his back. Tolaith giggled, clapping his hands.

"Leg'as!" he chuckled. He toddled behind the Elf. "Lookie!" He pulled the teddy out of Legolas' hands and showed him.

"Well done Tolaith!" cried Legolas dramatically, causing the little one to laugh even more. Tolaith began chewing the bear's ear.

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Windshadow's hooves pressed into the snow, leaving tracks which Swiftfoot's feet filled. The twins rode as fast as they dared; the snow was still a cause for concern in case it was concealing any ice beneath it. After some time however, they finally saw Tiliath's shack, standing proudly at the top of the hill.

Elrohir saw the Ranger going about his wood-chopping task with his keen eyes.

"Tiliath! Ho, down here!"

Tiliath and Ecara looked down the hill to see the two dark haired Elves atop their steeds. A smile broke out on the man's face.

"Elladan! Elrohir!"

He picked his way down the hill to greet the brothers. "Well, this is a pleasant surprise! How long has it been since I saw you both last?"

"Far too long," replied Elladan cheerfully. They descended from the horses' backs. Tiliath noted that the twins' mood sobered ever so slightly.

"_Mellonamin_, we were wondering if you could help us?" began the older Noldo.

"We're looking for a young friend of ours," continued Elrohir. "He's about..." He put his hand to about shoulder height. "This tall... would you agree Dan?"

Elladan nodded. "Yes, and he has blonde hair and blue eyes. Please say you've seen him!"

Tiliath thought for a moment. "Is he wearing a dark green tunic and brown trousers?"

Elladan's heart leapt up. "Yes!"

Ecara joined the conversation. "You mean Legolas? Tiliath found him yesterday; he's up in the house!"

The couple were taken back slightly as the twins rocketed up the slope towards their friend, at long last...

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Elrond looked out towards the gates of Rivendell, smiling with relief as he saw his sons entering with a tightly wrapped, sleeping bundle sat in front of Elrohir. It had taken quite a bit of persuasion on the twins' part to allow them to bring the young Elf home; in the end they had been forced to reach a compromise with Tiliath and Ecara. This was that Tiliath was allowed to make sure Legolas was fit for travelling, and complying with Ecara's forceful demand that the three elves get some warm broth into their bellies before they left. After all, it was still quite cold.

Estel had gone back to sleep in his room; the boy would be fine. The incident with the apparition reminded the Elven Lord once more just how fickle visions were; all too often it was easy to assume that things were worse, or better, than they seemed.

"I hope I'm not disturbing you?" said a voice. Elrond glared at Glorfindel as he entered.

"I'm surprised to see you here; surely you know about the price I've put on your head for that little trick you played earlier?"

Glorfindel carried a look of mock unease about him. "Ah; compared to you, a Balrog is nothing!" They laughed and the blonde Elf sat down near his friend, and in companionable silence they relaxed, forgetting all the troubles of the past two days.

"Do you ever get the feeling that those two will never really be able to stay out of trouble?" asked Elrond suddenly. Glorfindel pondered this for a moment.

"You're supposed to have the gift of foresight; you tell me!" he replied mischievously.

Elrond rolled his eyes, at which Glorfindel merely laughed. "I meant, do you think that Estel and Legolas will one day have a little self-control over what they get into or will trouble follow them like a lost pup for the rest of their days?!"

Glorfindel shrugged his shoulders, not truly knowing the answer to the Noldo's question. "I'm afraid I have no answer for that _mellonamin_," he replied truthfully. As the sun set and the twinkling stars began to emerge from their hiding places, he sighed.

"I guess we shall just have to wait and see..."

** _The__ End _**   

**=) Of course, WE all know the answer to that question, don't we? =) But, as I promised, here is the preview to the next episode... see you there!!! **

**Red Sun Rising******

_A red sun rises on Rivendell after the Twins, Estel, and Legolas go out on hunting trip. Glorfindel, determined to find out who is hurt this time, goes out in search, but he could never have imagined what he finds..._

Elladan coughed violently as the dust around him settled. A sharp pain in his right leg alerted him, and he looked down to discover the limb was pinned under a large rock.

Three dark shapes silhouetted against the bright overhead sun above him, coming in at the sides of the hole he had fallen down.

"Dan?! Are you alright?!" came Elrohir's voice. The older twin squinted as he looked up.

"I'm down here!" he shouted back.

"Yes we know that!" said Estel, a comment which only served to gain him a punch from Elrohir.

"This is no time for stupid comments Estel!" he told the sixteen year old fiercely. Legolas, not wanting to get involved in the dispute, decided to remain the clear-headed one in the situation.

"Are you hurt Dan?"

Elladan tried to shift his leg from under the small boulder. This was a bad idea as it only made his leg more painful. Most of the burning sensation seemed to radiate from around his ankle.

"I think my ankle's broken," he shouted up, wincing as the rock slipped another tiny jolt. "I'm stuck!"

Estel and Elrohir had stopped bickering as they heard their brother's cries. Elrohir stooped over the hole again, his face a mask of worry. "Alright Dan; we'll get you out in a minute!"

Estel on the other hand was busy looking at the sides of the pit. There seemed to be twigs and leaves arranged in a criss-cross fashion, some of which had snapped and fallen down with his brother. The realisation hit the young man like a tidal wave.

'This is a trap!!!' he thought to himself, horrified. Who would set a trap like this so close to Rivendell? The Elves certainly didn't use methods like this when hunting animals... this was assuming that that was what this trap was _intended_ to catch.

Meanwhile, Elladan's teeth were gritted in an attempt to keep the pain at a bearable level. He wouldn't be able to handle it much longer though; the sharp edges of the rock were digging into the soft skin.

"Hurry!!!"

That wasn't all of the elder twin's problems though. A soft, deadly hiss close by caught his attention. He felt all of his muscles tense up in apprehensive fear. Looking slowly to his right, Elladan's eyes widened as he saw a dark green snake slithering towards him. He knew the effects of _this_ particular poisonous snake.

One thought ran through his mind. This was a potentially deadly situation. 'Oh Valar help me...'

**So there's the Elladan Angst that people have been asking me for!!! And trust me; THIS is going to be the darkest story so far, though there are many more darker ones in the future... MWUHAHAHAHA!!! =)**


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